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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · squash · pit · plane · mark · mine · last · saw

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. last — finally
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mark — a trace
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mark — a grade
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. last — final
  22. plane — a tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com